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Wayland Baptist University is gearing up to begin its collaboration with the Alamo Community College District to recruit and train more nursing faculty and to increase student-nursing enrollment.

The collaboration was made possible through a $1.5 million grant that the college district (ACCD) received last year from the local nonprofit Methodist Healthcare Ministries.

As part of the collaboration, ACCD will allow Wayland Baptist University as well as the University of the Incarnate Word to use new simulation labs on the St. Philip’s College campus and at San Antonio College’s new Nursing/Allied Health building.

ACCD will provide faculty for the labs, which will allow students to learn nursing care and nursing skills in a non-threatening environment prior to giving patient care in a real clinical environment.

Each of the two ACCD college campuses will be home to two labs that include 10 mock hospital wings that feature a nurse’s station as well as medical-care units. Students can interact with ‘high-fidelity’ Laerdal simulated mannequins that speak and exhibit symptoms.

San Antonio College (SAC) and Incarnate Word students are set to begin their training classes in March at SAC. Wayland students will begin their training classes in the summer at SAC. Training at St. Philip’s is expected to begin in the fall after the two labs at that campus are opened.

Lula Pelayo, Ph.D., district director of nursing education for ACCD, says the district invited Wayland and Incarnate Word to participate in the lab program to help address a nursing need affecting the city.

Pelayo says research shows that last year there was a shortfall of 9,300 nurses in San Antonio. That number is expected to increase to 14,400 by 2015.

Pelayo says the nursing initiative will involve awarding scholarships and other efforts to increase student enrollment as part of the effort to stem the growing nursing shortfall.

Diane Frazor, Ed.D., a registered nurse and director of the nursing program at Wayland, says the partnership creates a symbiotic relationship that benefits all of the colleges involved.

“I am really excited about this because it allows ACCD to keep the simulation labs busy and prevents me from having to establish my own simulation lab. It is a “win-win” partnership for everyone,” Frazor says.

Wayland currently offers a bachelor of science in nursing program as well as a degree completion program for registered nurses seeking a bachelor of science in nursing.

The school is also expecting its nursing program to be accredited by the National League of Nursing sometime in late summer or early fall.

Frazor says the accrediation is important for Wayland because it will allow military personnel to attend Wayland as part of their military training.

“Without National Accreditation, those students currently cannot attend,” Frazor says. “Also, being nationally accredited is a rigorous process and lends additional credibility to the curriculum.”

Raising money

In addition to expanding its nursing program, Wayland is in the middle of raising money to expand its campus.

The goal, says James Antenen, Ph.D., dean of the school, is to raise $6 million (with a stretch goal of $8 million). Right now, Antenen says about 10 percent of the money has been raised.

“We are just getting started. It’s a three-year campaign that will end in June of 2011,” Antenen says.

The money will be used to construct a 60,000-square-foot building on Wayland’s property.

The new building will include 30 small classrooms, a 300-square-foot auditorium, a bookstore, prayer chapel, faculty offices, catering kitchen and a student lounge.

Antenen says construction of the new building will probably start within 18 months.

Deanna Spruce, director of institutional advancement, says the building is needed to accommodate the growth of the school’s student population.

Overall student enrollment, Spruce says, is up 8 percent, with almost 7,000 full-time and part-time students currently.

“We’re busting at the seams,” Spruce says.

Antenen says the school’s enrollment has grown as more people find out about Wayland and what it has to offer.

“We are very friendly to working adults,” he says, adding that the school focuses on providing a personal and high-touch approach to student services.

Furthermore, Spruce says, that even though Wayland is a private university, it offers classes at state college prices.

Wayland employs 54 full-time employees and around 85 adjunct faculty.

The regionally accredited school offers degree programs for working adults and military personnel. Most of its classes are offered in the evenings, weekends or online.

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